The John A. Velotta Class of 1993 Armed Forces Scholarship

We thought you might care to know a little about our son, LT. John Anthony Velotta, USN, in whose memory our contribution is given. Following John’s untimely death in 2002, we struggled to find an appropriate and personally fulfilling way to honor the memory of the life of our child. We spend much time reflecting on the people and experiences that we believed to have been formative and important to him during his all too short life. Central to those remembrances were John’s receipt of a Navy ROTC Scholarship and his four years spent at The Citadel.

After knob year, he enjoyed the challenges of The Citadel undergraduate experience. He competed on The Citadel pistol team and was nationally ranked. He enjoyed intramural sports and was regimental doubles racquetball champion competing with one of his Delta Company brothers. He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration.

Upon graduation, he commissioned into the United States Navy. He served aboard the USS Enterprise and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal. As years pass and upon reflection, we appreciate more and more how the 4 Pillars of the Citadel Experience: Academic, Military, Fitness and Character, enhanced the life of a young man and Navy officer he would become.

There are many causes, all worthwhile, that compete for our financial support. However, we feel that no young woman or man who commissions in the United States military, and who one day be called upon to render the ultimate sacrifice, should graduate from college with debt. To honor our son’s memory, and in dedication to those who follow him, we are proud to “pay it forward for him” and to support the Long Gray Line of Citadel graduates who chose “the path less traveled by”.